Resolution: Supporting a Fair and Just Resolution to the Israel/Palestine Impasse

Passed by the Peace Action National Congress, July 2008

WHEREAS during the November 1947 â€“ January 1949 Nakba, and continuing until today, the Yishuv (the organized Zionist settler community in Palestine) and after May 1948 the Israeli government, have systematically and forcibly ethnically cleansed indigenous Palestinian Arabs from their homes, businesses and lands;

WHEREAS Israel has appropriated Palestinian public and private lands which comprise 80% of 1949 armistice Israel and 40% of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and has appropriated any and all personal property thereon and therein, including for example business inventories, agricultural harvests, household furnishings and other personal property, bank accounts and the like without providing compensation to the rightful Palestinian Arab owners;

WHEREAS Israel destroys Palestiniansâ€™ ability to survive by demolishing Palestinian homes and businesses, uprooting Palestinian fruit and olive trees, plowing under Palestinian agriculture, blocking imports to and exports from Palestinian areas, including food, fuel and medicine, as well as by extravagantly pumping water from aquifers under Palestinian lands for use by Jewish Israelis while harshly rationing Palestinian use of Palestinian water;

WHEREAS Israel has settled 490,000 Israeli Jewish settlers into Palestinian East Jerusalem and the West Bank;

WHEREAS since 1948 Israel has systematically and forcibly prevented Palestinian Arabs, their children, their grandchildren and their great grandchildren from returning to their rightful homes, lands and businesses;

WHEREAS each of the above is a violation of international law and many of these actions constitute war crimes;

WHEREAS Israel has for more than 35 years been the single largest recipient of United States foreign aid in both actual dollars and per capita dollars, and is the single largest recipient of United States military aid and all manner of private United States citizen donations, contributions and other assistance to Israel;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that until Israel comes into compliance with international law, including the right of return of Palestinian Arab refugees and their families, our position is that the United States government should:

1) Withhold financial and military aid to Israel;

2) Should support a fair, just and timely resolution to the Israel/Palestine impasse which is consistent with international laws, protocols, conventions;

3) Require Israel immediately to: remove any and all impediments to unfettered Palestinian travel between the Gaza Strip and West Bank, within the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and from the Palestinian territories to and from the â€œoutside world;â€ cease any and all other acts of collective punishment of the Palestinian people; remove Israeli military bases and personnel from Palestinian territories; release all Palestinian political detainees; transfer to the Palestinian Authority all taxes, customs duties and the like collected on behalf of the Palestinian Authority;

4) Recognize the duly elected government of the Palestinian people, in particular Hamas officials, and opposes any and all US government activities to subvert such elections via military support to opposition factions, e.g., the recent arming and training of Fatah factions.